Tonight:
9°c
Russia issues arrest warrant for founder of Evroset
04.09.09
An arrest warrant has been issued against Russian businessman Yevgeny Chichvarkin who is wanted in his home country but now lives in Britain.
Westminster magistrates' court issued the warrant for the arrest of Chichvarkin as Russian prosecutors seek his extradition over charges of kidnapping and extortion.
Chichvarkin, co-founder of Russian mobile phone retailer Evroset, has been on the wanted list in Russia since he fled to the UK in Janauary.
He is suspected of abduction and extortion of his firm's former shipping agent Andrey Vlaskin who is believed to have stolen a shipment of mobile phones from Evroset. Chichvarkin allegedly ordered the company's security service to force the man to return the goods. He fled to the UK shortly before charges against him were pressed and last month Russian authorities asked Interpol to put him on the international wanted list. Chichvarkin denies any wrongdoing.
Last September, Chichvarkin and his business partner Timur Artemyev sold Evroset to the ANN investment company for $1.25 billion (£765 million). Evroset runs more than 5,000 outlets in 1,464 cities in Russia and some former Soviet republics.
